Undergarment



Aug. 27, 1935. A. R. KNEIBLER v 2,012,879 UNDERGARMENT Filed Feb. 6,1955 Patented Aug. 27, 1935 PATENT OFFICE- UNDERGARMENT Arthur R.Kneibler, Kenosha, Wis., assigner to Coopers, Inc., Kenoshafwis., acorporation of Wisconsin Application February s, 193s, serial No. 5,170

1 Claim.

This invention relates to undergarments, and

more particularly to the type of undergarment known in the trade asShorts.

The main objects of the invention are to pro- I vide a garment of thetype referred to, which will t smoothly and snugly, while beingexceptionally comfortable to wear; to provide such a garment with abuilt in jock strap or supporter construction forming a component partof thel garment; and to provide a structure which may be manufacturedeconomically so as to be adapted to be sold at low cost.

`In general, it is the object ofthe invention to provide an improvedgarment of the type referred to, and other objects and advantages of theinvention will beunderstood by reference to rthe following specicationand accompanyiug drawing, wherein there is illustrated an undergarmentembodying a selected form of the in- Vention.

In the drawingf Fig. 1 is afront elevation of the garment as it appearsin flat folded condition;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line' 2-2 of Fig. l, showing the garment indistended condition as worn;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 but showing the garment inthe condition in which it appears when distended as worn;

Fig. 4 is a detail section on -the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a development of the-component parts of the garment.

Referring now to the drawing, the improved garment herein contemplatedembodies a waistband I of suitable elastic material, which issufficiently soft and stretchable to be adjustable to the waist linewithout objectionable pressure on the waist line.

The body of the garment is formed by means of a central back piece II, acentral front piece I2, and side insert pieces I3 and I4.

The central front piece I2 is preferably of twoply constructionembodying plies I2n and I2b and said'portion is formed with anintegrally connected crotch extension I which embodies continuations ofboth plies I2a and I2".

The central back section I I has a substantially straight top edge I6and its width is gradually increased downwardly so that its side edgesIl, flare outwardlyn as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The lowermost portionof the back section II is provided with arcuate-shaped edge portionsI8., I8 and a substantially'straight bottom edge Il.

The arcuate edge portions I8, I8 constitute leg opening edges, as willpresently appear.

The central front portion I2 is formed with a substantially straight topedge 20 and it is relatively narrow in width, as compared with the widthof the back portion II. The width of the central front portion also isgradually increased downwardly so that its side edges 2|, 2| flareoutwardly and downwardly. The crotch extension I5 is provided witharcuate side edges 22, 22 which result in a narrowing of the crotchextension relative to the width of the lower end portion of the centralfront section. 'Ihe free end 23 of the crotch extension is alsopreferably substantially straight across its width.

The side pieces I3 and I4 approach a rectangular formation havingsubstantially straighttop edges 24, substantially straight, nearlyparallel side edges 25 and 26 and bottom edges 2l of curved formation.The latter curved edges cooperate with the curved edges I8 of 4the backportion to form outer portions of leg openings designated 28. The curvededges 22 of the crotch portion I5 form inner edge portions of the legopenings 28.

As clearly indicated in the drawing, the substantially straight topedges IB, 20, 24, 24 of the re' spective sections are united to 'thelower edge of the waistband I0 by means of suitable stitching indicatedat 29, the latter being preferably of a type which is stretchable withthe elastic waistband. It will also be understood that the sections II,I2, I3 and I4, made of knitted material, are also stretchabletransversely of the direction of the ribs of the knitted fabric,although not nia-v and the edges 2| of the front piece are designated 30and thel seams uniting the Arearward edges 26, 26 of the side pieces andthe edges of the back piece arel designated 3|. The free end 23 of the lcrotch extension I5 is united to the lower edge I9 of the rear sectionby a suitable line of stitchthat the seam 32 is disposed well towardsthe back of the garment, i. e., nearer the plane of the back of thegarment than that of the front of the garment. This is considered anadvantage,

in that in such location, the seam offers the least interference withthe comfort of the wearer.

The leg openings 28, 28 formed by the curved edges I 8, 2,2 and 21 ofthe respective parts are in this instance trimmed or finished by beinghemmed. Within the hemmed outer leg opening portions formed at the loweredges of the back and side sections, there are .disposed strips ofelastic indicated at 33, 33, said strips being anchored in place in anysuitable manner, but preferably by means of an expansible line ofstitching designated 34 which engages only the upper marginal portion ofthe elastic strip. Such line cf stitching 34 is preferably continuedaround the entire leg opening to form the bottom edge. The inner marginsof the leg openings are adapted to substantially coincide with thegroins of the wearer and the outer margins extend upwardly substantiallyin line therewith.

In the central front piece I2, the ribs or direction of knitting extendup and down, and in the crotch extension, they extend lengthwise andsubstantially parallel with the leg forming edges 22, 22. Since knittedfabric is not materially extensible in the direction -of its wales, itwill be apparent that the leg openings 28 are not materially extensiblein their inner edge portions formed by said crotch extension. However,in the side portions I3 and I4 and in the back portion I I, the ribs ofthe fabric extend up and down and thus substantially transversely of theleg opening forming edges I8 and 2 1, so that said outer edge portionsof the leg opening are extensible as permitted by the stretchability ofthe knitted fabric, The inserted elastic elements 33, 33 serve toyieldingly maintain the leg openings in their contracted condition sothat said leg openings mayl be proportioned to fit the wearer snugly bymaking such openings somewhat small- .er than the corresponding portionof the average perscns thigh. Hence, a snug and smooth fit may readilybe obtained by the described construction. The stretching of the outermarginal portions of the leg openings when the garment is worn, causesthe inner marginal portions thereof to be drawn taut so as to avoidgathering or bunching thereof, and said inner portions are also therebymaintained in the groins of the wearer.

'Ihe two-ply construction of the central front piece I2 and crotchextension I5 and the longitudinal inextensibility thereof constitutesaid portions a jock strap formation built in the garment. 'I'he elasticelements 33 exert a steady and substantial pull outwardly in a more orless horizontal i..e., forward and rearward and outward direction.- Thispull at the front of the garment is generally applied at the pointswhere the seams -30 meet the leg-openings, so that the supporting partof the garment is maintained in tight-fitting condition and is preventedfrom wrinkling in an undesirable manner. The tension applied by theseelastic inserts also serves to maintain the back of the garment insnug-fitting position, and prevents the garment from bunehing in thecrotch.

The described arrangement has the further advantage that the seams 30,30 and 3|, 3I are so located as to be in positions where they are leastconspicuous and least apt to press on and chafe the body of the wearer.Further advantages of the described structure will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art, and changes in the structure may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention, the .scope of which shouldbe determined by reference to the following claim, the same beingconstrued as broadly as possible consistent with the state of the art.

I claim:

A pair of mens shorts made of knitted material provided with an elasticwaist band adapted to support the garment from the waist of the wearer,said garment having a knitted crotch piece the wales of which extendfrom front to back thereof so that said crotch piece is freelyextensible transversely of the 'crotch but relatively inextensiblelongitudinally of the crotch, the longitudinally extending side edges ofsaid crotch piece defining inner portions of the margin of the legopenings, the said side edges being of predetermined, substantiallyinvariable length and coinciding with the groins of the wearer, theouter portions ofthe margins of said leg openings extending upwardlysubstantially in line with the groins but transversely of the wales ofthe fabric, so that the fabric forming said outer portions of themargins of said leg openings is freely extensible, elastic elements insaid outer portions only tending to resiliently limit theVv size of saidleg openings to substantially less than the leg size requirements, saidouter portions and elasticy elements Ybeing expanded when the garment isworn so as to maintain said inner portions taut and in the groins of thewearer, the portions of the garment connecting the waist bandwith thecrotchl piece being relatively inextensible thereby to rmly support saidcrotch piece from the waist band, and the transverse resiliency of saidcrotch piece permitting the same to snugly fit the anatomyin'resiliently conforming relation thereto.

. ARTHUR R. KNEIBLER.

